Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/248

 222 HISTORY OF GREECE. neglect the interests of the confederacy for purposes of her CWB and to tolerate or encourage the continued positive depredation* of unpaid armaments discontent naturally grew up, manifest ing itself most powerfully among some of the larger dependencies near the Asiatic coast. The islands of Chios, Kos, and Rhodes, together with the important city of Byzantium on the Thracian Bosphorus, took counsel together, and declared themselves de- tached from Athens and her confederacy. According to the spirit of the convention, sworn at Sparta, immediately before the battle of Leuktra, and of the subsequent alliance, sworn at Athens, a few months afterwards 1 obligatory and indefeasible confedera- cies stood generally condemned among the Greeks, so that these islands were justified in simply seceding when they thought fit. But their secession, which probably Athens would, under all cir- cumstances, have resisted, was proclaimed in a hostile manner, accompanied with accusations of treacherous purposes on her part against them. It was moreover fomented by the intrigues, as well as aided by the arms, of the Karian prince Mausolus. 2 Since the peace of Antalkidas, the whole Asiatic coast had been under the unresisted dominion either of satraps or subordinate princes dependent upon Persia, who were watching for opportunities of extending their conquests in the neighboring islands. Mausolus appears to have occupied both Rhodes and Kos ; provoking in the former island a revolution which placed it under an oligarchy, not only devoted to him, but farther sustained by the presence of a considerable force of his mercenary troops. 3 The government of Chios appears to have been always oligarchical ; which fact was me ground for want of sympathy between the Chians and Athens. Lastly, the Byzantines had also a special ground for discontent ; since they assumed the privilege of detaining and taxing the corn- 1 Xenoph. Hellcn. vi. 3, 18; vi. 5, 2. 1 Demosthenes, De Rhodior. Libertat. p. 191. s. 3. ynu.aa.vro -/tip tipa* tr '.Sovfavetv avrolf Kloi nai BV^UVTIOI nai 'P66ioi KOI 6iu ravra cruvfarrjaav k$' ijuuf rbv TE^Evralov rovrovl itohtfiov av^aTci & 1 6 ftev Trpvravevaac raura Kal Treiaaf MaycruAof, iAof elvai QUOKUV 'Podiuv, TTJV i%.vdepia avruv d07?pJ7/uTOf. 3 Demosthen. de Rhodior. Libert, p. 195. s. 17. p. 198 s 34; de Pace, p 53. s. 25 ; Diodor, xvi. 7.